A fixture that haunts Old Trafford
There are certain results that burrow under the skin of a football club and refuse to leave. For Manchester United, Bournemouth's back-to-back 3-0 victories at Old Trafford have become precisely that kind of irritant.
In December 2023, under Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils were dismantled by Andoni Iraola's fearless visitors. Twelve months later, with Ruben Amorim barely settled into the hot seat, history repeated itself with brutal precision. Same scoreline. Same venue. Same sense of disbelief echoing around a stunned Theatre of Dreams.
No team in top-flight history has ever won three consecutive away matches against Manchester United while scoring three or more goals in each. On Monday night, Bournemouth have the chance to achieve what seemed unthinkable just two seasons ago.
United's fragile renaissance
The curious thing about Manchester United's season is that hope and despair seem to arrive in equal measure, often within days of each other.
Last Monday's 4-1 demolition of bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers felt like a statement. Bruno Fernandes produced a masterclass, scoring twice and providing an assist, while Mason Mount continued his quiet resurgence with a goal of his own. The Portuguese captain has been directly involved in eight goals across his last eight Premier League appearances, a run of form that has briefly quieted his critics.
Yet context matters. Wolves are already relegated in all but name. United's only clean sheet in fifteen league games this season tells a more troubling story. Amorim's men have conceded from set-pieces with alarming regularity, a vulnerability that Bournemouth exploited ruthlessly last December when Dean Huijsen headed home from Ryan Christie's free-kick.
The defensive concerns are compounded by personnel issues. Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt remain sidelined, the former with a hamstring injury, the latter nursing a back problem. Benjamin Sesko, United's summer arrival from RB Leipzig, may return after recovering from a knee injury and a bout of food poisoning, but match fitness remains a question mark.
Bournemouth's curious collapse
Six weeks ago, Bournemouth were the story of the Premier League season. Iraola's side had climbed to fifth place, playing the kind of progressive, aggressive football that had neutrals purring. The Basque coach had transformed a modest south-coast club into genuine European contenders.
Then the wheels came off. Six matches without a victory. Four defeats. Goals dried up like a coastal stream in summer. Antoine Semenyo, so clinical in those thrilling autumn months, hasn't found the net in seven games. Evanilson, the Brazilian striker signed to provide a cutting edge, looks increasingly blunt.
The Cherries have slipped to fourteenth, sixteen points behind leaders Arsenal, their European dreams fading with each passing week. Away from the Vitality Stadium, their record reads won one, drawn one, lost five from their last seven. That solitary victory came at the end of August.
And yet. Old Trafford seems to operate under different rules for this Bournemouth team. Something about the Theatre of Dreams brings out their best.
The key battles
Bruno Fernandes versus Tyler Adams represents the match's pivotal duel. The American midfielder, fresh from winning November's Goal of the Month and returning from suspension, will be tasked with disrupting the Portuguese playmaker's rhythm. If Adams can win the midfield battle, Bournemouth can frustrate United just as they did against Chelsea in their goalless draw last time out.
Semenyo, despite his recent drought, remains Bournemouth's most dangerous attacking outlet. His pace on the counter could expose a United defence that has looked vulnerable against faster opponents. Rumours linking him with a £65 million move to Old Trafford in January add a layer of intrigue to his involvement.
For United, the aerial threat of Sesko, if fit, could prove decisive against a Bournemouth defence that conceded twice from headers in their 4-0 defeat at Aston Villa. The Slovenian's physical presence has been sorely missed during his absence.
What it means
Victory for United would lift them potentially into the top four, depending on results elsewhere, and provide further evidence that Amorim's methods are taking hold. More importantly, it would exorcise the demons of those humiliating December defeats.
For Bournemouth, a historic third consecutive 3-0 win at Old Trafford would rank among the most remarkable achievements in the club's history. Even a point would represent a significant step towards arresting their slide and rebuilding confidence for the second half of the season.
The Cherries have nothing to lose. United have everything to prove. Under the Monday night lights, something has to give.
